1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to pyrrolo[2,3-b]pyridine derivatives active as kinase inhibitors and, more in particular, it relates to pyrrolo[2,3-b]pyridine derivatives further substituted in position 5, to a process for their preparation, to combinatorial libraries thereof, to pharmaceutical compositions comprising them and to their use as therapeutic agents, particularly in the treatment of diseases linked to disregulated protein kinases.
2. Discussion of the Background
The malfunctioning of protein kinases (PKs) is the hallmark of numerous diseases. A large share of the oncogenes and proto-oncogenes involved in human cancers code for PKs. The enhanced activities of PKs are also implicated in many non-malignant diseases, such as benign prostate hyperplasia, familial adenomatosis, polyposis, neuro-fibromatosis, psoriasis, vascular smooth cell proliferation associated with atherosclerosis, pulmonary fibrosis, arthritis glomerulonephritis and post-surgical stenosis and restenosis.
PKs are also implicated in inflammatory conditions and in the multiplication of viruses and parasites. PKs are believed to also play a major role in the pathogenesis and development of neurodegenerative disorders.
For a general reference to PKs malfunctioning or disregulation see, for instance, Current Opinion in Chemical Biology 1999, 3, 459-465.